MyForest Foods Co., a producer of mycelium-based protein alternatives, has announced a retail expansion of its flagship product, MyBacon, into Whole Foods Markets across the northeastern United States. This new partnership increases the product’s availability to 57 Whole Foods locations across New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Additionally, the company has announced the introduction of MyBacon in MOM’s Organic Market, enhancing its distribution across Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.
[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]”Our farm may have been the first of its kind, but it won’t be the last”[/perfectpullquote]
This significant milestone for MyForest Foods extends its commercial retail footprint to over 350 locations across eight states throughout the United States. MyBacon is a mycelium-based bacon alternative made with only five ingredients: organic mycelium, organic coconut oil, organic sugar, salt, and natural flavor. Last year, the company cited plans to launch its second product, MyJerky, but no further updates have been made.
Sarah-Marie Cole, the Chief Marketing Officer of MyForest Foods, commented, “This journey has been about so much more than launching a product. This is the domestication of an entirely new crop: AirMycelium™. It’s a crop that offers a delicious, whole-cut, farm-to-table experience. We can’t wait to share it with long-time fans and new consumers alike.”
Advancements in mycelium farming
In 2022, MyForest Foods opened the “world’s largest” vertical mycelium farm, a significant step supported by a $15 million venture loan. Additionally, a further $15 million was raised in a Series A-2 funding round last year to facilitate production scale-up and boost retail and food service presence in the eastern US.
Co-founder and chairman of MyForest Foods, Eben Bayer, spoke about the innovative farming technology behind the company’s products: “Since we’re growing the mushroom’s roots—not its fruits—the farming technology has been a process of trial and error. We have dialed in on the precise environmental factors necessary to grow delicious and nutritious whole cuts of mycelium. Our farm may have been the first of its kind, but it won’t be the last.” He also cites plans to double production in 2024 through a partnership with Whitecrest Innovations Inc. in Canada.
In an op-ed for vegconomist, Bayer gave his insights into what lies ahead for plant-based meat, stating, “From my vantage point, just because we’re seeing a slight dip in the industry — one that is shared across most markets in the current economy — it doesn’t mean the industry is done for.
“The next-generation offerings in this space — such as mycelium-based MyBacon — are solving the shortcomings of the overhyped first-generation players. In this case, we’re talking about a better replacement for mile-long, unpronounceable ingredient lists and confusing nutritional and health claims while also carving a widening space in the market moving forward.”
